Electrical scoring fencing equipment



United States Patent Ofiice Patented Jan. 7, 1958 ELECTRICAL SCORING FENCING EQUIPMENT James R. Grace, Denver, Colo.

Application March 21, 1955, Serial No. 495,583

1 Claim. (Cl. ZOO-61.42)

The present invention relates to electrical scoring apparatus for use in fencing.

Previously, means have been devised to facilitate automatic scoring in fencing. In general, prior devices have operated to close an electrical circuit whenever a touch has been made upon the body of the opponent. Prior devices for accomplishing this result have utilized a small switch element positioned on the tip of a foil pe. This positioning of a contact has required the use of wires extending along the blade in exposed position.

In order to eliminate the disadvantages of prior types of electrical scoring apparatus while preserving the distinct advantages inherent in having automatic scoring, the present inventor has determined to satisfy the following objectives: To provide means for electrical scoring fencing activities in which the contact members for closing the scoring circuit will be contained in the handle or grip of an pe, foil or sabre. Further, to provide various means for closing the contact points of an electrical circuit whenever a resisting object is touched during forward thrust of a fencing blade.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the appended description and drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation showing the general elements of an electrical foil,

Fig. 2 is an elevation in partial cross-section showing a first form of electrical scoring apparatus made in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 3 is an elevation in partial section showing a second form of the present invention, and

Fig. 4 is an elevation in partial section showing a third form of this invention.

Briefly stated, the present invention provides an electrical circuit which may be utilized to automatically indicate a touch or contact during fencing activity. To obtain the desired result a contact element, or elements, are provided within the handle or grip and so positioned with respect to the blade that the electrical circuit through the contact element will be closed whenever relative movement of the blade and grip or blade and contact element is effected.

Separate means for accomplishing the desired result are shown in the accompanying figures, in Fig. l of which the numeral 11 indicates a fencing foil having as conventional elements, a guard 12, a grip 13, a pommel 14 and a blade 16. In this figure, it will also be noticed that contact wires 17 are provided leading into the interior of the grip 13.

In Fig. 2 a first embodiment of the invention showing a form of electrical means for closing the electrical circuit through the wires 17 is shown. In this figure it will be noted that the blade 16 is provided with a tang 18 which extends through the guard 12 and the grip 13. It should further be noted that a spring member 19 is positioned within the grip 13 to urge the blade 16 outwardly with respect to the grip 13. The strength of the spring 19 should be predetermined, so that relative movement between the grip 13 and tang 18 will not occur unless the tip of the blade 16 engages an external object at the time that a forward thrust is being made with the entire foil structure.

Since spring 19 urges the blade outwardly, the tang 18 is provided with an elongated slot 20 through which a pin 21 passes to hold the grip 13 and tang 18 in their assembled positions. With this structure as shown it will be seen that relative movement between the grip 13 and blade 16 or tang 18 will cause the angle face 22 at the end of the tang 18 to come into contact with the separate contact members 23a and 235, which are insulated one from the other. This contact between the end face 22 of the tang 18 and the contacts 23a and 2312 will necessarily close the circuit through electrical wires 17a and 17b. When the circuit through these Wires is closed, an electrical impulse may be passed through the wires 17 to an automatic counter device (not shown) to indicate that a touch has been made.

In Fig. 3 a separate modification of the present invention is shown. In this figure the conventional elements, inclusive of the guard 12, blade 16, grip 13, electrical wires 17, etc., are shown together with a modified form of blade tang 18b which is again provided with an elongated slot 21) and held in assembled relation within the grip 13 by means of a pin 21. In this embodiment the end of the tang 18b is reduced in size to provide a push rod 24 which passes through the center of a coil spring 19b. As shown, the spring 1% is free to expand reciprocally within limits defined by a retainer washer 26 and a movement-limiting shoulder 27 positioned within the grip 13. With this arrangement the spring force exerted by the spring 19b tends to push the tang 18b and the blade 16 outwardly with respect to the grip 13 thereby tending to hold the head piece 23 on push rod 24 out of contact with the push button 29 of a micro switch element 31. With this arrangement a well aimed thrust of the fencing foil that is interrupted by the body of the opponent or other object will cause the head 28 of push rod 24 to be moved into contact with the button 29 of micro switch 31 thereby closing the contact elements (not shown) within the micro switch 31 to complete the circuit through electrical wires 17a and 17b. In order to prevent damage to micro switch 31, shoulder elements 32 are provided adjacent to the micro switch 31 to interrupt and to restrain further movement of the head 28 of push rod 24 In a further embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 4, the blade 16 and guard 12 are assembled in fixed relation, and the grip 13 is itself allowed to move reciprocally with respect to the tang 180. In this embodiment the threaded end 33 of the tang 18c is secured to the pommel 14, and the contact wires 17c pass through the pommel 14 and slideably through the grip to the forward portion of the grip where it is joined to a contact member 34. The other electrical wire 17b is secured directly to the end of tang 180. As in the prior devices, a spring 19c is provided to exert pressure against the grip 13 and against a pin 27 passing through the tang 18c. The spring urges the grip 13 backwardly away from the guard 12, so that the contact point 34 is normally out of engagement with a corresponding contact face 36 on the guard 12. With this arrangement an interrupted thrust force will cause the grip 13 to be moved reciprocally along the tang 18c thereby causing the contact point 34 to engage the contact face 36 thereby closing an electrical circuit through the wire 17c, contact point 34, contact face 36, guard 12, blade 16 and tang back to electrical wire 17b. Closure of this circuit will allow an electrical impulse to pass through such circuit to an impulse-counting device (not shown) to indicate that a touch has been made with the foil.

In all embodiments of the present invention, the spring member should be of such strength as to prevent the closing of the contact members unless an actual touch has been made. When properly designed and balanced, a touch will not be registered due to the inertia forces inherent in a quick thrusting movement of the foil.

While separate embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent that this invention is adaptable to various modifications and changes. All such modifications and changes as come within the scope of the hereunto appended claims are deemed to be a part of this invention.

What is claimed is:

Fencing equipment inclusive of electrical scoring apparatus comprising a blade member having an exposed end for contacting an opponent and a tang portion at its opposite end, said tang portion providing an elongated slot opening having its major axis disposed along said tang, a handle grip on the tang portion of said blade, a pin through said handle grip and through the opening in said tang for holding said handle on said tang and for permitting limited reciprocal movement to retracted and extended positions between said blade and tang, a guard member disposed on said blade in position adjacent said tang and adapted to protect and shield the users hand, electrical contact elements disposed within said handle grip, a spring member disposed between said blade memher and handle grip tending to hold said blade and grip in extended position with the spring force exerted being greater than the inertial forces of said blade encountered during use of said fencing equipment, and means for closing the electrical circuit through said contact elements when a resisting force is exerted against the exposed end of said blade member to cause relative movement between said handle grip and blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,334,271 Malm et al. Nov. 16, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 33,514 France Nov. 28, 1928 790,753 France Nov. 27, 1935 

